Ful il sa

I really can't even tell you the amount of anxiety I'm having over tomorrow. Major trepidation. Tomorrow is the first day of Lent, and the beginning of my meat-free adventure. Egads. At first I thought, well that would be interesting. Give up meat just to see what it's like. But as the day approaches, it's gone from no-big-deal to BIG FAT HAIRY DEAL. I'm eating my last steak salad before Easter, and wondering what I've got myself in to.

Not that I'm like a heavy meat-eater. I would never do the Atkins Diet. Makes my stomach wobble just thinking of it. But I do enjoy meat in moderation. It's definitely on the menu for this omnivore.

Some of my concerns are just health related. Am I going to get enough iron? Protein? Of course, a person with a moderate lifestyle can eliminate meat if they are thoughtful about their diet. But being thoughtful about what I put in my mouth is not my strong suit. As a matter of fact, the whole iron issue didn't occur to me until just this morning.

Other concerns are just a result of knowing what a contrary little cuss I can be. Tell me I can't have something and it's exactly what I want. A lot. I love the taste of forbidden fruit. I know as a result of the Great Lent Coffee Sensation of 2008, my obsession with the thing I'm denied can get pretty mountainous. The only thing that is really saving me right now is knowing that, unlike coffee, I don't have any daily rituals built around meat. I'm not going to have to get out of bed every morning knowing that I won't get my cup of steak for breakfast. It's really the cumulative effect, of day after day denial that will get to me. Day One - fine. Day 25 - maybe not so fine.

But then, all these qualms tell me that I'm probably picking the right thing to give up. I may be damming myself for a masochist and a martyr in a couple of weeks. Or it could be the best thing I've ever done. What's life for if you can't try new things?

Happy Mardi Gras, y'all.